The invention relates to a method of transmitting a menu to a receiver for display on said receiver, comprising the step of transmitting menu structure data defining displayable menu items which are selectable by a cursor. The invention also relates to a transmitter, television receiver and a display device for transmitting, receiving, and displaying, respectively, said menu.
A known method and arrangement for transmitting menus to a television receiver as defined hereabove is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,871. The prior art method relates to teletext broadcast systems. The menus are transmitted as additional teletext pages, each comprising the menu items and the page numbers of the relevant teletext pages associated therewith. The user retrieves a particular page of interest by placing the cursor on the page number associated with a desired menu item and presses an OK key. If a plurality of menu pages is transmitted to form a tree structure, this step is repeated as many times as necessary.
The transmission of electronic television video guides, whether or not in the form of teletext pages, is a feature of growing commercial importance. Some TV stations (e.g. Pro7 in Germany) transmit TV guide information related to a plurality of TV stations via teletext. Each teletext page comprises the programs scheduled for a day or a part thereof. Some TV stations also transmit a teletext page showing all programs currently being broadcast by a plurality of TV stations. Needless to say that a video guide transmission system must offer appropriate menus to assist the user in finding the desired information. An easy-to-use and attractive menu based access system is proposed in Applicant""s co-pending patent application PHN 15.374 EPP, filed simultaneously with this application.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method and arrangement for transmitting menus, wherein the menus have an attractive appearance and which yet better assist the user in retrieving the information of interest.
According to the invention, the method is characterized in that the method comprises the step of transmitting subpicture data defining displayable subpictures, and the step of associating with each menu item attribute data for linking a selected subpicture to said item so as to simultaneously display the menu and the subpicture which is associated with the menu item the display position of which corresponds with the display position of the cursor. Herewith is achieved that, while the cursor is moved over the various menu items on screen, a subpicture with information related to each menu item pops up dynamically. An important application hereof is to provide the user in advance, for each selectable menu item, a brief explanation of actions which will be carried out when said item will indeed be selected. It is also possible to dynamically show commercials, each commercial being specially related to a menu item.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a display device for displaying a menu comprises memory means for storing menu structure data defining displayable and user-selectable menu items, display means for displaying said menu, and cursor means for displaying a cursor in said menu. The device is characterized in that it comprises further memory means for storing subpicture data defining displayable subpictures, with each menu item attribute data being associated for linking a selected subpicture to said item, the display means further being adapted to simultaneously display the menu and the stored subpicture which is associated with the menu item of which the display position corresponds with the display position of the cursor. In such a display device, the various kinds of data are stored in advance.